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Eleutheroi (Arabia)
Qala'im Arabim (Arabian Slingers) Slings are very easy and cheap to make, and yet they are a respectable weapon. It is for this reason that they are so prevalent among the poorer Arabian tribes. In battle, slingers are used as light skirmishers, troops with no armour or melee weapons but who rush forward against the enemy to pepper them with stones, only to flee when threatened. Giusim Aravim 'im Garzenim (Red Sea Light Infantry) When the men of the Red Sea Coast are called to war they fight in a manner centuries old. Armed with the traditional balta harbiye, a double edged axe, and light wickerwork and leather shields, these men form a light and unruly levy. While they are not the toughest or most reliable troops on the field of battle they have been weathered and hardened by their inhospitable homeland, and their ability to survive, and thrive, in the desert climes of their native land is their greatest asset, even on the battlefield. Historically, the coast of the Red Sea was a comparatively populous and successful region, dotted with scattered towns and mountain settlements, despite widely spaced rivers and the lack of an agricultural infrastructure as old as in Saba to the South. These coastal peoples were a fairly hardy folk, used to more rugged territory and veterans of minor city conflicts, and wars that called them up as mercenaries or levies for larger armies. This background served them well in combat, and though not imbued with the same loyalty and religious fervor that the more traditional tribal allies and levies of the Sabaeans possessed, they were a strong shock infantry when their dedication was not overly taxed. Dorkim Ezra'him (Sabaean Levy Spearmen) These urbanites are the core of Sabaean society and as such it is no surprise that they provide the bedrock of the Sabaean military machine. Armed with sturdy spears and protected by good quality helmets and hardy camel hide leather shields these men are far more capable than their lighter counterparts in tribal levies of holding the line of battle. Further, their religious fervor makes them more reliable in battle than many citizen forces. Still, their more sheltered urban existence makes them less able to bear the rigors of desert warfare than their nomadic fellows and their armament is not as heavy as comparable troops fielded by other states. A wise general will be mindful of both the strengths and weaknesses of these troops, the Sabaean will never recover their past splendor without their sweat and blood, but only when used in proper roles will their sacrifices be meaningful. Historically, the Sabaean urban population was the most substantial component of their impressive regular military. In Sabaean society, religion was among the most immediate concerns of the average citizen. Their years revolved around the Festival of Almaqah, while their days were first geared towards frequent sacrifices and offerings to him, administered by his all pervasive High Priesthood. Everywhere they might go, an agent of the High Priesthood could be encountered, and in everything they do, some aspect of their work can be seen, giving such citizens a massive psychological stake in their traditional religion. This simple dedication and familiarity made these citizens among the most loyal soldiers of the Sabaean infantry, beyond reproach and angered at the very prospect of foreign encroachment upon their childhood religion. Erínamesh ana-Arabim (East Coast Levies) These raiders and pirates dominate the military stage of Eastern Arabia around Gerrha and historical Oman. In nature, they are light infantry equipped with padded armour worn over their dishdasha tunics, giving them some protection against arrow-fire. They carry shields made of wicker, osier and reed as well as that of hides and leather. They are swift, agile and their spears give them some edge over light cavalry. As they are more accustomed to the hot climate, these pirates and raiders make excellent desert warriors, albeit they are neither very disciplined or formally trained; Their loyalty is only a measure of the wages ordained by their paymaster. Historically, the area around historical Gerrha and Oman, (Called "Mâzûn", by the subsequent Parthians and the Sassanians who came to dominate the political scene around the entire Persian Gulf) bolstered such warriors in an environment that demanded skill in naval trade and a tough bulwark adept in desert warfare. The natives of Gerrha were heavily influenced by Chaldaeans who were said to have built the city of Gerrha "entirely on blocks and slabs of salt" while the natives of Oman were more influenced by the Iranians over the strait of Hôrmûz. These Arabians were proficient in trading and in sea-faring, extending their influence as far as Dravidia in southern India, rivalling against the Nabataean Arabs to the west. It would be these Arabs who later became the stock of the later Lakhmid (Muntherid) dynasts, the powerful vassals of the Sassanians, marking a boundary between the sedentary and cosmopolitan Arabs and those who still adhered to nomadic principles. Parashim Aravim Meguiasim (Arabian Light Cavalry) The majority of Saba’s cavalry arm was drawn not from her urban population, who were more often called on to serve as the center of the line of battle, but from her tribal allies. The tribes that provided these cavalry forces were generally nomadic in lifestyle and as such provided men who spent more time mounted than on foot, even if the mount was often a camel rather than a horse. In battle these men provide a highly skilled light cavalry contingent exceedingly capable in the roles of skirmishing, pursuit, and harassment. When coupled with the smaller contingent on medium cavalry fielded by Saba’s urban population they can also deliver a devastating charge to the flanks or rear of the enemy battle-line, but should not be expected to fulfill the role of shock cavalry on their own. Historically, the Arabs were a far-flung people, raised on the backs of camels and horses while crossing desert as traders or living the rugged life of the nomad. While they might generally have chosen the high perch of a camel for their travels, in battle, their horses were the prefered mount. Brought literally into a new saddle, they excelled in combat, well-served by the balance learned from riding a camel, and despite their light armor and armament, fought with skill - though not always with dedication. Bnei Shevet Aravim (Arabian Light Infantry) These lightly armed men are not much to look at, clad in simple attire and armed with the most rudimentary of weapons, a spear and shield, but they are far more capable soldiers than first glance would indicate. Exceedingly loyal to their Sabaean overlords they are much more reliable than their eastern levy counterparts and their experience in years of both tribal skirmishing and warfare on behalf of their Sabaean rulers has made them into warriors of surprising merit and skill. Historically, the bulk of the Sabaean medium infantry line was levied from the Arab and Bedouin peoples under their direct or nominal rule, many of them serving as regulars, though most were recruited sporadically by agents of the Sabaean King. Their minor tribes and settlements had a history of loyalty to the Sabaeans, having fought alongside them and been under their rule to various extents for centuries, most of them coming to accept their religious practices ages ago. They were hardy veterans of numerous conflicts, with relatives who could in all likelihood say the same, generally invested in their ruler's cause and sympathetic to their often easy government. Category:Eleutheroi